Apparatus for automatic changing of reels in a spooler for wire products

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for automatic changing of empty and full reels in a spooling machine for wire products. The apparatus comprises a movable transport carriage for at least two reels and a track for guiding said carriage along the spooling machine. A lifting mechanism is arranged to lift successively each reel into the spooling machine and a transfer device is arranged to displace the carriage along said track one reels width between each lifting movement of said lifting device.

United States Patent [191' Riekkinen APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATIC CHANGING OF REELS IN A SPOOLER FOR WIRE Jan. 7, 1975 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,918,045 4/1969 Germany 242/79 1,136,881 9/1962 Germany 242/25 A 1,424,325 5/1961 Germany 242/25 A 58,905 1/1956 Germany 242/79 Primary Examiner-Stanley N. Gilreath Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Waters, Roditi, Schwartz & Nissen [57] ABSTRACT An apparatus for automatic changing of empty and full reels in a spooling machine for wire products. The apparatus comprises a movable transport carriage for at least two reels and a track for guiding said carriage along the spooling machine. A lifting mechanism is arranged to lift successively each reel into the spooling machine and a transfer device is arranged to displace the carriage along said track one reels width between each lifting movement of said lifting device.

7 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAN W5 3,858,817

SHEET 4 0F 5 FIG.7

- 3,858,817 SBEET SDF 5 PATENTED JAN 71935 APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATIC CHANGING OF REELS IN A SPOOLER FOR WIRE PRODUCTS The present invention concerns an apparatus for loading and unloading of reels, in a plane perpendicular to the spooling axis, in a spooler for wire products.

It has earlier been the practice to provide the spooler with a loading ramp, along which empty reels roll into the machine, and an unloading ramp, along which the full reels roll out of the machine after spooling. The ramps are fixed, and are positioned essentially perpendicular to the spooling axis. One drawback with this type of system is that, on leaving the machine, a full reel must roll for a certain distance before stopping and because of this it tends to unwind, something which is undesirable. In addition, the later arriving reels collide with the earlier ones, possibly causing reel damage.

Another method which is already known is to locate fixed rails on the sides of the spooler along which the reels may be pushed in an axial direction towards the exchange opening of the spooling machine. A disadvantage of this method is that the reel flanges tend to become scraped when sliding along the rails.

Both of the aforementioned methods have the further disadvantage that the same reel must be manually moved by the operator several times. The operator must take the reel from a transport rack and lift it onto the loading ramp. After spooling the full reel must be manually lifted from the ramp to a transport unit.

A third known method is the fitting of an upper feedin conveyor and a lower removal conveyor adjacent the exchange opening of the spooling machine in positions perpendicular to the spooling axis. The reels are located on said conveyors in a line perpendicular to their axes. The feed-in conveyor is terminated in a multi-arm star-shaped feed device which selects one reel at a time from the conveyor and moves it into position for spooling. On completion of the spooling operation, the feed device transfers the reel to the removal conveyor. The

feed device rotates, in steps, in one direction.

There are, however, some drawbacks associated with this type of reel exchange too. It is necessary to use conveyor belts for the loading and unloading of the spooling machine, and such belts always take up a considerable amount of space in height, width and length. The storage place for the reels is often some way from the spooling machine, and, unless the conveyor belts are connected to the storage place, which is often quite impossible, the reels may have to be lifted manually several times. The use of a rotating star-shaped feeding device also requires that the feedin conveyor is located in a higher position than the spooling shaft. This sets certain requirements on the height of the room. The rotating feeding device itself also requires considerable space.

The purpose of this invention is to eliminate the aforesaid disadvantages and this is achieved by means of an apparatus characterised in that it comprises a movable transport carriage which can accommodate at least two reels simultaneously, located coaxially in line with the transverse direction of the carriage, a transport track for the carriage located at the side of the spooler, parallel to the spooling axis, a transfer device for transporting the carriage one reels width at a time along the transport track, a lifting device located at the exchange aperture which is rotatably bearing mounted on a shaft parallel to the spooling shaft to perform a back and forward movement, and control equipment for the initiation of the lifting device in order to move an empty reel from the transport carriage to the spooler and to start the moving of the carriage by the transfer device a distance of one reels width in relation to the exchange aperture when the said reel is completely full and has been transferred to its place on the carriage.

The apparatus according to the invention permits the use of the transport carriage as a reel storage and trans port rack, on which it is possible to provide space for as many reels, in line, as is desirable, depending on whether the carriage is moved manually or by machine to and from the spooling machine. The apparatus requires a relatively small amount of space.

One further advantage of the invention is that it is unnecessary for the operator to lift the reels manually as the reels are transferred mechanically the whole time. This is a considerable advantage especially when the reels in question are large. The handling of the reels is more careful as the rolling speeds and movements are controlled and appropriate to the reel. In addition, the automatic cycle of the spooling machine can be ex tended. When, for example, a four reel carriage is used with a double spooling machine, the machine is able to use seven reels in succession without the assistance of an operator. This is a distinct improvement both for the operator and in comparison with the above mentioned previously known rolling systems which would obviously cause appreciable damage to the reels when such numbers were involved. Furthermore, a rolling system would require much more space.

The invention is described in more detail in the following, with reference to the attached drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a double spooler fitted on both sides with a reel changing apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the embodiment according to FIG. 1. 7

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-section of a side view of the apparatus on a larger scale, and some parts of the spooling machine with the carriage. removed.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the arrangement according to FIG. 3 with the carriage in position.

FIG. 5 is a cross-section of the apparatus along the line VV in FIG. 4 on a slightly larger scale. The lifting device is in its rest position FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but with the lifting device in operating position.

FIG. 7 is a cross-section along the line VII-Vll in FIG. 3 of a rolling device attached to the spooler.

FIG. 8 is a top view of the arrangement according to FIG. 7.

FIGS. 9, l0 and 11 are end, side and top views respectively of the carriage.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a double spooler 1 consisting of two spooling positions A and B for reels, located in such a manner that the spooling shafts are parallel to each other. A reel exchange opening 4 leads to each spooling position from opposite sides of the machine (FIG. 3). The wire 5 being spooled is led via a wire accumulator 6 and a traversing unit 7 to one of the reels in the machine at a time. This type of spooler is already known and forms no part as such of this invention.

Fixed transport tracks 8 are fitted at both sides of the spooler for a transport carriage 9. From FIGS. 3 and 4 it can be seen that each track includes two mutually spaced horizontal rails 10, parallel to the spooling shafts 2 and 3. Both tracks are located adjacent the respective exchange opening 4.

Each carriage consists of a framework 12 supported on four wheels 11 and including two horizontal mutually spaced supporting bars 13 and a push handle 14. The purpose of the bars is to support two adjacent coaxial reels, as indicated by broken lines, and in order to hold the reels in fixed positions the bars are equipped with guide rings 15. The wheel-base width of the transport carriage is adjusted to the track width of rails so that the carriage can be pushed along the rails to the far end of the transport track 8 (FIG. 4). As shown in detail in FIG. 2, the length of the track 8 is longer than that of the carriage 9, enabling the carriage to be guided along the rails from a first position (right hand carriage in FIG. 2) in which the carriage is positioned at the end of the track and the first reel is located at the exchange opening of the machine, to a second position (left hand carriage) in which the carriage has been pulled backwards by one reels width so that the second reel is positioned at the exchange opening.

Also included in the apparatus according to the invention is a transfer device 16 (FIGS. 3-6) consisting of a rod 18 fitted to a casing 17 attached to the side of the machine in parallel to the spooling shafts 2, 3, on which rod a slide 19 is displaceably mounted. The slide is equipped with a pivoted hook 20 whose purpose is to engage with a hook 21 in the carriage, and a peg 22 connected to the piston shaft 24 of a pressure fluid cylinder 23 fitted on the side of the casing.

The apparatus also comprises a reel lifting device 25 (FIGS. 3-6) consisting of a lifting arm 26 rotatably mounted on said rod 18 the plane of rotation being perpendicular to the spooling shafts 2 and 3. The piston shaft 28 of a pressure fluid cylinder 27 which is fitted to the frame of the spooling machine is connected to a lug 29 on the lifting arm. A support bar 30, of slightly greater length than the reel width, is located at the end of the lifting arm perpendicular thereto. The lifting arm is of such a shape that in the lowered position (FIG. 5) it is located underneath the carriage so that it does not prevent the carriage from moving along the track 8, and in the raised position (FIG. 6) it is sufficiently elevated to lift the reel from the carriage.

Also included in the apparatus is a rolling platform 31 (FIGS. 6, 7, 8) for each spooling position, the design of which is described in more detail in the following.

As the apparatus according to the invention is identical at each side of the spooling machine, only the operation of the apparatus at the right side of the machine in FIG. 1 is described in the following. It should however be clear that the operations of each apparatus are synchronised in such a way that when spooling is in progress at one of the spooling positions the unloading of a full reel and loading of an empty one in its place is being carried out at the other spooling position.

At the beginning of the operation cycle, carriage 9, with two empty reels 32, 33, is pushed onto track 8 so that the wheels 11 roll along rails 10. The carriage is pushed to the end of the track and the hook 20 of the transfer mechanism engages with the hook 21 on the carriage, so that slide 19 moves slightly with the carriage. The peg 34 on the slide (FIG. 4) presses a fixed limit switch 35, indicating that one of the reels is in position at the exchange opening 4 of the machine. The limit switch 35 transmits a signal to a central control unit 36 connected to the machine, which in turn transmits a signal to feed pressure fluid into the cylinder 27 of the lifting device. The piston shaft 28 moves the lifting arm 26 upwards so that it touches the reel 32 located above it and moves further, together with the reel, to the upper position shown in FIG. 6.

Reel 32 is thus pushed onto the rolling platform 31. The rolling platform (FIGS. 7,8) comprises a horizontal platform plate 36, the outer edge of which is pivotably mounted by means of a shaft 37 to a support 38 attached to a frame beam of the spooler. One edge of the horizontal plate 39 is attached to a shaft 40 pivotably mounted in a sleeve 41, which in turn is pivotably mounted on bearings 42 fitted to the frame of the spooler. A vertical arm 43, attached to the sleeve 41, supports a projecting arm 44 which carries an adjustment screw 45. This adjustment screw is fixed to a horizontal U-beam 46 supported by a plate 39. The lower end of arm 43 is connected to the piston shaft 48 of a pressure fluid cylinder 47 fixed on the frame of the spooling machine. The plate 39 is connected to the platform plate 36 by means of a joint 49. The system is such that when the pressure fluid cylinder 47 is in its rest position, as shown in FIG. 7, plate 36 is inclined slightly downwards-inwards.

Because of the slight inclination of the platform plate 36, the reel 32 rolls towards the centre of the spooling position and up on the U-beam 46 where it presses against a limit switch 50 attached to the U-beam. The limit switch transmits a signal to the central control indicating that the reel is located in line with the spooling shaft. The central control then transmits signals to those elements of the spooling machine which engage the reel on the spooling shaft, start the rotation of the spooling shaft and cause the changeover of spooling to this reel.

When the reel is full and the central control has received information to this effect, a signal is transmitted to the fastening components of the spooler to loosen the reel. A signal is also sent from the central control to pressurize cylinder 47. The piston shaft 48 pulls the arm 43 in an anticlockwise direction, causing the arm to lift the plate 39 and the U-beam 46, together with reel 32, by means of the screw 45. The reel is transferred onto plate 36 which is in a slightly raised position because of the raising of plate 39. Thus plate 36 is inclined slightly outwards and downwards causing the reel to roll outwards along the plate and fall into its position on the carriage. At the same time the reel pushes the lifting arm 26 into its lowered position. A limit switch (not shown) transmits a signal of this action to the central control which in turn sends an impulse signalling the piston shaft 24 to withdraw inside the cylinder 23 such a distance that the peg 34 on the slide touches the limit switch 51 (FIG. 4) and terminates the transfer movement. The carriage has thus been moved a distance of one reels width by the transfer mechanism so that the empty reel 33 is now in position opposite the exchange opening 4. The operation described above is then repeated When the reel 33 has, in turn, been filled and transferred to the carriage, locking device 20, 21 is opened and the carriage is removed from the track 8. It is replaced by a new carriage with empty reels.

The transport carriage can, if necessary, be designed to carry more than two reels.

The drawings and description associated thereto are intended only to give a broad outline of the invention.

The details of the apparatus in accordance with the invention can vary considerably within the limits of the patent claims.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for automatic loading and unloading of 5 reels, in a plane perpendicular to a spooling axis, in a spooling machine for wire products, comprising a movable transport carriage for supporting at least two reels coaxially in line with the transverse direction of the carriage, a guiding track for the carriage located at the side of the spooler in parallel with the spooling axis, a transfer device for displacing the carriage by one reels width at a time along said track, said spooler having an exchange opening, a lifting device located at the exchange opening of the spooler, a shaft parallel to the spooling axis, to perform a back and forward move ment, said spooler being pivotally mounted on said shaft, and control means for activating said lifting device to move an empty reel from said carriage to the spooler and for activating said transfer device to move the carriage a distance of one reels width in relation to said exchange opening when said reel is completely spooled and has been displaced to said carriage.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transport carriage consists of wheels, a framework mounted on said wheels, and two mutually spaced horizontal bars supporting the reels.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said guiding track for the transport carriage: consists of two mutually spaced horizontal rails for supporting and guiding said wheels of the transport carriage.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transfer device consists of a rod parallel to the spooling axis, a slide moving along said rod and provided with an element for engaging the transport carriage, and a pressure fluid cylinder comprising a piston shaft fixed to said slide.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said lifting device consists of a lifting arm operated by a pressure fluid cylinder.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, including a horizontal rolling platform positioned at said exchange opening of the spooler, and inclining means for inclining said platform towards the spooling axis to move an empty reel from the exchange opening to the spooling axis, said inclining means inclining said platform away from the spooling axis to said exchange opening.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means consists of limit switches located on the traversing paths of the transfer device, lifting device and the reel, said switches being electrically connected to a central control in order to operate the transfer and lifting devices in accordance with the operations of the limit switches. 

1. Apparatus for automatic loading and unloading of reels, in a plane perpendicular to a spooling axis, in a spooling machine for wire products, comprising a movable transport carriage for supporting at least two reels coaxially in line with the transverse direction of the carriage, a guiding track for the carriage located at the side of the spooler in parallel with the spooling axis, a transfer device for displacing the carriage by one reel''s width at a time along said track, said spooler having an exchange opening, a lifting device located at the exchange opening of the spooler, a shaft parallel to the spooling axis, to perform a back and forward movement, said spooler being pivotally moUnted on said shaft, and control means for activating said lifting device to move an empty reel from said carriage to the spooler and for activating said transfer device to move the carriage a distance of one reel''s width in relation to said exchange opening when said reel is completely spooled and has been displaced to said carriage.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transport carriage consists of wheels, a framework mounted on said wheels, and two mutually spaced horizontal bars supporting the reels.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said guiding track for the transport carriage consists of two mutually spaced horizontal rails for supporting and guiding said wheels of the transport carriage.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transfer device consists of a rod parallel to the spooling axis, a slide moving along said rod and provided with an element for engaging the transport carriage, and a pressure fluid cylinder comprising a piston shaft fixed to said slide.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said lifting device consists of a lifting arm operated by a pressure fluid cylinder.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 1, including a horizontal rolling platform positioned at said exchange opening of the spooler, and inclining means for inclining said platform towards the spooling axis to move an empty reel from the exchange opening to the spooling axis, said inclining means inclining said platform away from the spooling axis to said exchange opening.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means consists of limit switches located on the traversing paths of the transfer device, lifting device and the reel, said switches being electrically connected to a central control in order to operate the transfer and lifting devices in accordance with the operations of the limit switches. 